Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach

Most low-income nations have national medicine policy that emphasized the use of generic medicines in the public health sector. However, the use of generics is often debatable as there are concerns over its efficacy, quality, and safety compared to their branded counterparts. This study was condu...

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Main Authors: James, Peter Bai, Bah, Abdulai Jawo, Margao, Emmanuel Kamanda, Hanson, Christian, Kabba, John Alimamy, Jamshed, Shazia Qasim
Format: Article
Language:English
English
Published: MDPI 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/1/Generic%20Medicine.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/7/63347%20Exploring%20the%20Knowledge%20and%20Perception%20of%20Generic%20Medicines%20among%20Final%20Year%20Undergraduate%20Medical%2C%20Pharmacy%2C%20and%20Nursing%20Students%20in%20Sierra%20Leone_wos.pdf
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spelling iium-633472019-01-24T03:40:39Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/ Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach James, Peter Bai Bah, Abdulai Jawo Margao, Emmanuel Kamanda Hanson, Christian Kabba, John Alimamy Jamshed, Shazia Qasim R Medicine (General) Most low-income nations have national medicine policy that emphasized the use of generic medicines in the public health sector. However, the use of generics is often debatable as there are concerns over its efficacy, quality, and safety compared to their branded counterparts. This study was conducted to compare the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone. We conducted a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study among these students at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences University of Sierra Leone. Out of the 62 students, only two (2/62, 3.2%) knew about the acceptable bioequivalence limit. At least half of respondents in all three groups agreed that all generics are therapeutically equivalent to their innovator brand. At least half of the medicine (21/42, 50%) and nursing (6/9, 66.6%) students, compared to pharmacy students (5/11, 45.5%), believed that higher safety standards are required for proprietary medicines than for generic medicines. Most of them agreed that they need more information on the safety, quality, and efficacy aspects of generics (59/62, 95.2%). All three groups of healthcare students, despite variations in their responses, demonstrated a deficiency in knowledge and misconception regarding generic medicines. Training on issues surrounding generic drugs in healthcare training institutions is highly needed among future healthcare providers in Sierra Leone. MDPI 2018-03 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/1/Generic%20Medicine.pdf application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/7/63347%20Exploring%20the%20Knowledge%20and%20Perception%20of%20Generic%20Medicines%20among%20Final%20Year%20Undergraduate%20Medical%2C%20Pharmacy%2C%20and%20Nursing%20Students%20in%20Sierra%20Leone_wos.pdf James, Peter Bai and Bah, Abdulai Jawo and Margao, Emmanuel Kamanda and Hanson, Christian and Kabba, John Alimamy and Jamshed, Shazia Qasim (2018) Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach. Pharmacy, 6 (1). pp. 3-8. ISSN 2226-4787 http://www.mdpi.com/2226-4787/6/1/3/htm 10.3390/pharmacy6010003
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Local University
institution International Islamic University Malaysia
building IIUM Repository
collection Online Access
language English
English
topic R Medicine (General)
spellingShingle R Medicine (General)
James, Peter Bai
Bah, Abdulai Jawo
Margao, Emmanuel Kamanda
Hanson, Christian
Kabba, John Alimamy
Jamshed, Shazia Qasim
Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach
description Most low-income nations have national medicine policy that emphasized the use of generic medicines in the public health sector. However, the use of generics is often debatable as there are concerns over its efficacy, quality, and safety compared to their branded counterparts. This study was conducted to compare the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone. We conducted a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study among these students at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences University of Sierra Leone. Out of the 62 students, only two (2/62, 3.2%) knew about the acceptable bioequivalence limit. At least half of respondents in all three groups agreed that all generics are therapeutically equivalent to their innovator brand. At least half of the medicine (21/42, 50%) and nursing (6/9, 66.6%) students, compared to pharmacy students (5/11, 45.5%), believed that higher safety standards are required for proprietary medicines than for generic medicines. Most of them agreed that they need more information on the safety, quality, and efficacy aspects of generics (59/62, 95.2%). All three groups of healthcare students, despite variations in their responses, demonstrated a deficiency in knowledge and misconception regarding generic medicines. Training on issues surrounding generic drugs in healthcare training institutions is highly needed among future healthcare providers in Sierra Leone.
format Article
author James, Peter Bai
Bah, Abdulai Jawo
Margao, Emmanuel Kamanda
Hanson, Christian
Kabba, John Alimamy
Jamshed, Shazia Qasim
author_facet James, Peter Bai
Bah, Abdulai Jawo
Margao, Emmanuel Kamanda
Hanson, Christian
Kabba, John Alimamy
Jamshed, Shazia Qasim
author_sort James, Peter Bai
title Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach
title_short Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach
title_full Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach
title_fullStr Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone: A comparative cross-sectional approach
title_sort exploring the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in sierra leone: a comparative cross-sectional approach
publisher MDPI
publishDate 2018
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/1/Generic%20Medicine.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/63347/7/63347%20Exploring%20the%20Knowledge%20and%20Perception%20of%20Generic%20Medicines%20among%20Final%20Year%20Undergraduate%20Medical%2C%20Pharmacy%2C%20and%20Nursing%20Students%20in%20Sierra%20Leone_wos.pdf
first_indexed 2023-09-18T21:29:51Z
last_indexed 2023-09-18T21:29:51Z
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